


Something Wicked

by Rattlesnake_Smile



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 05, Dubious Consent, Dubious Consent Due To Identity Issues, Dubious Ethics, Dubious Morality, Fusion Fic - The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 07:30:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11008806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rattlesnake_Smile/pseuds/Rattlesnake_Smile
Summary: After everything they'd gone through in Mystic Falls, you'd think they'd learn to not be so surprised by all of the supernatural things that go on around them.





	Something Wicked

**Author's Note:**

> Just a note: this is an alternate season five, in which Silas was locked in the safe and is fossilized at the bottom of the quarry. Stefan did move to Portland the way he originally intended to, to get over Elena, who is now dating Damon. Bonnie's alive and attending college with Elena, Caroline and Matt, being a roommate for the first two. Tyler is off helping that werewolf pack and Jeremy is dead and on the Other Side, with no way of contacting the Mystic Falls Gang.
> 
> Those are the basics and all you really know in order to start this.
> 
> Also, the first few chapters will be using scenes from the first few episodes of season five of TVD, but I think I've done a good job of mixing them up and spacing them out.

“It’s just… you don’t think it’s weird that he hasn’t checked in all summer?” Elena asked, carrying a laundry basket full of folded clothing in her arms, her best friend Bonnie next to her with a similar basket in her hands.  All around the two of them being others – young people toting around boxes and laundry.  It was move-in day at Whitmore College.

“Not really.” Bonnie answered, her expression apologetic.  “You did hook up with his brother.  Anyone would need space after something like that.”

Elena bit her bottom lip, her expression still slightly worried.  “I just have this horrible feeling in my stomach.”

“That feeling is called guilt.” Caroline appeared before them, a box of her belongings in her hands.  “You feel guilty…”

“Caroline.” Bonnie tried to interrupt her friend before she said something they would all regret.

“… because you broke Stefan’s heart.” Caroline plowed on.  “And spent the entire summer shacking up with his brother.”

“Hello, mom ears.” Liz Forbes said with exasperation, on her way back to the car for more boxes of her daughter’s belongings. 

“And dad ears.” Rudy Hopkins said, following shortly behind the Sheriff of Mystic Falls.

All three girls grimaced in embarrassment, waiting for Caroline’s mother to move on before they continued their conversation.  Once she was out of earshot, Caroline continued.

“That guilt is your conscience telling you that you’ve made a horrible, but totally reversible mistake.”

“Nice try, Caroline.” Elena said, long used to the blonde’s opinion on her love life.  “I’m just worried about him.”

“Well, don’t’ worry.” Caroline assured her.  “He’s fine.”

“How do you know?” Bonnie asked.  Caroline realized her error and looked away, trying for innocent.  She failed.

“You spoke with him?” Elena asked.

“He… may have called a few times.” Caroline eventually admitted sheepishly.

“So, he called you, but not me or his brother?” Elena seemed offended now.

“Do I need to restate the ‘you broke his heart’ part?” Caroline asked.

“Touché.” Elena responded.

“So, when’s Tyler going to get here?” Bonnie asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from the tense and awkward subject.  Apparently, this was the wrong subject to change to, because the blonde vampire’s expression soured.

“That pack in Tennessee is really needy or something, so Tyler’s sticking around to help them out.” She pursed her lips.  “He’s deferring for a semester… and from returning my phone calls, so I’m deferring from having sex with him ever again.”

Elena and Bonnie laughed, knowing Caroline wanted to drop the subject.

The three friends continued onward to the dorms, carrying their boxes and divvying up their room – a triple room, courtesy of Caroline’s compulsion.  Clothes were unpacked, pictures were hung, desks were stocked and boxes were broken down as the three settled into their new accommodations, ready to start their college life.  To branch out from the home – and hell – that they had known: Mystic Falls. 

“You brought a panini press?” Bonnie asked, holding up said appliance from one of the last boxes, looking incredulously in Caroline’s direction.

“Small appliances, by the fridge.” Caroline responded, totally unfazed.  The young witch shook her head but complied anyway, walking the small device across the room to sit by their minifridge.

“Okay, that’s the last one.” Rudy said, hauling the last box into the room and placing it on the bed closest to the door.

“Thanks dad.” Bonnie smiled at her father.

“No thanks needed.” Her father responded, holding his arms open.  “But a hug would be appreciated.”  Bonnie rolled her eyes in good fun and crossed the room to give her father a goodbye hug.

“You, too.” Liz said, turning toward her daughter.  “Give me a goodbye hug before I change my mind and drag you home with me.”  The two blondes hugged it out, both getting teary-eyed.  Liz pulled back from the hug first to look at her daughter, her grown-up little girl, wondering where the time had all gone.  “You can call as much as you want, you know?”

“Mom, we’ll be fine.”

Liz turned toward Elena, the only one of the three with no parents present.  “Come here.”  Elena moved forward, accepting and returning the hug from her friend’s mother, grateful for any kind of parental concern she could get at this point.  Once again, Liz pulled back and looked at the young woman in her arms, remembering when she and her daughter used to play on the swing when they were younger.  “This is where your dad fell in love with medicine, you know?”

Elena nodded.

“He would be really proud to see you here.” Liz continued.

“Thank you.” Elena replied, her voice breaking the tiniest bit at the thought of her long-dead father.

“Well, we should go.” Rudy said, still at his daughter’s side.  “We do have a town to run.”

“Right.” Liz agreed, but she didn’t move.

“Okay, go!” Caroline ordered, her own eyes welling up even more with tears.  “Before I change my mind and make you stay.”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Liz laughed through her happy tears.  “I love you.”  She moved toward the door with the mayor of Mystic Falls, stopping in the threshold to look back at the three young ladies about to start the next chapter of their lives.  “Bye, girls.”

And just like that, they were on their own.

Carline went to town with organizing the minifridge and small appliances while Bonnie started to unpack her new schoolbooks, as well as her grimoires, and Elena unpacked the blood bags she and Caroline would need to survive, unless they wanted to start picking off some of the co-eds on campus.  That’s the solution Damon would have suggested, but these two vampires were struggling to stick to the title of functioning.

Bonnie’s phone chirped, attracting the witch’s attention.  She picked up the smartphone and found herself looking at a text from Matt.

“Matt’s here.” Bonnie announced to the room.

“When did he get back?”  Elena asked, looking up from where she was placing her clothing into her dresser.

“Just now, I guess.” Bonnie replied.  “Wanna go see him?”

“Yes,” Caroline answered.  “I want to grill him about his Eurotrip with Rebekah.”  Wearing one of her signature determined expressions, Caroline led her two best friends out of their room.

“This is going to end well.” Elena commented dryly as she and Bonnie followed her from the room.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

Matt Donovan was pinned to the standard issue twin bed all college dorm rooms were equipped with, a hot, thousand-year-old Original vampire on top of him, holding him down, her lips on his.  Rebekah pulled back, allowing Matt to catch his breath.  He smiled up at the fierce blonde.

“I thought you said no strings?” Matt commented.

“Who said there were strings?” Rebekah replied with a grin before swooping in again for another smooch, Matt meeting her halfway with enthusiasm.  The two were so engrossed with what they were doing that they didn’t hear the door to his room being opened.

“Ugh!  Gross!” Caroline’s voice snapped the two lovebirds out of their intense make-out session.  Both looked over to see the three women staring at them, each with an expression of disgust (Caroline), shock (Elena) or amusement (Bonnie) on their faces.

“Hey, Caroline.” Matt said, grinning sheepishly from underneath Rebekah.

“Ugh!  Enter the holy trinity.” Rebekah sighed, upset at the interruption.

“Exit the devil.” Caroline fired back, glaring daggers at the sole female Original.

Rebekah turned back to Matt, the two of them now sitting up, and planted another kiss on his lips.  “Don’t call.” Another kiss.  “Don’t write.”  Another kiss, this one a bit longer.  “And don’t you dare miss me.”

“I’ve already forgotten you.” Matt responded with a smile and a kiss of his own before she climbed off the bed, grabbing her jacket and slinking toward the door, breezing past the three girls without a word and a flip of her long blond tresses.  They waited until she was out of earshot before Caroline laid into him.

“Really, Matt?”

“Hey, the girl who went on a date with Klaus doesn’t get to throw stones.” Matt retaliated, standing up and straightening his shirt.  Behind Caroline, both Elena and Bonnie fought back smiles.  Both quickly schooled their expressions when Caroline turned toward them.

“Fine, Elena you…” She paused, her mind remembering who Elena was currently dating.  Caroline turned to her other best friend.  “Bonnie, you tell him.”

“Hey!” Both girls said.

“Sorry, but you don’t have any ground to stand on.” Caroline pointed out to Elena, her expression apologetic for a moment before perking up when she looked at Bonnie.  “Bonnie, on the other hand…”

“Isn’t getting involved in this argument.”  The witch interrupted.

“But…”

“No, buts, Caroline.” Bonnie stood her ground.  “He had a fun summer with Rebekah and now he’s home, safe and sound and in once piece.”

“Yeah, but that’s only because of the Gilbert Ring.” Caroline pointed out.

“Um, about that…” Matt had the courtesy to look embarrassed.  All three girls looked toward his right hand, where the Gilbert Ring was supposed to be resting, only to find his hand bare.

“Matt!” Elena exclaimed.

“I can explain.” He was quick to defend himself.

“Please, tell us how you lost the one thing that keeps you from dying.” Caroline’s tone was acid.

“Not to mention it was the last of my family’s heirlooms, steeped in history.”  Elena added with a sickly-sweet smile.  “The last and only connection to my family, all of whom are dead.”

“Okay, I get it.” Matt held up his hands in surrender.

“Seriously, Matt.”  Even Bonnie joined in, which is how you knew it was bad.  “What would you have told Jeremy?”

“I don’t know.” Matt admitted.  “Do you think he’d understand if I told him I’d lost it while having a threesome?”

“Oh, I totally understand.” Jeremy said from behind Matt, where he’d been leaning against the wall.  Unfortunately, none of them could see or hear him, given that he was dead and stuck on the Other Side.  “Especially if she was hot.  Please say she was hot.”

“You had a threesome?” Caroline inquired.

“Mhmm.” The human confirmed.

“He already said that.” Jeremy’s spirit said to nobody.  “I need details.”

“With Rebekah?” Elena asked.

“Yep.”

“And…?” Bonnie spoke hesitantly, as if afraid of the answer.

“Vampire chick in Prague.” Matt answered.  “Super hot, not that you care about that.”

“Of course I care about that!” Jeremy exclaimed.  “Watching the living is the only source of entertainment I have over here.”

“Speaking of which, we’ve going to have to come up with some kind of system when one of us wants the room.” A voice spoke from the doorway.  The three young women turned around and found a young man standing there, dressed casually in jeans and a plan white Henley, the sleeves rolled up over his forearms.  His hair was artfully messy, somewhere between dirty blond and brown, and topped a handsome face.

“Excuse me, we’re having a private conversation.”  It was scary how quickly Caroline reverted back to her bitchy mean girl persona.  Also… slightly impressive.

“Excuse me, you’re in my dorm room.” The young man fired back, walking further into the room to set the box of books on his desk before picking a bottle of Gatorade from the minifridge.  He leaned back against his desk and took a nice gulp of the sports drink, leveling a cool look at Caroline.

“Guys, this is my roommate, Qwin.” Matt introduced.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Elena decided to break the awkward moment.

“Likewise.” Qwin responded after swallowing his beverage.  His blue-green eyes swiveled back toward Matt.  “But we seriously need to come up with a some kind of system.  Especially if you bring your girlfriend back here.”

“Girlfriend?” Elena asked, clearly confused.

“The blonde bombshell with the legs that just tore out of here in that red convertible.” Qwin clarified, setting the bottle of Gatorade on the desk.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Matt said.  “She was just here to say goodbye.”

“Either way, we should come up with some kind of system for when we want the room to ourselves.”

“We’ll work something out.” Matt agreed.

Qwin’s eyes once again drifted back to Elena, the third time in the last minute.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Caroline snapped.

“Excuse me?”

“You keep looking at my friend.” The blonde crossed her arms.  “It’s creepy.”

Rather than apologize to Caroline, Qwin turned his full focus to Elena.  “I’m sorry.  It’s just… I could swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“I get that a lot.” Elena answered.

“You ever been to Chicago?” Qwin asked.

“For a few hours last summer, yeah.” Elena answered truthfully.

“Hmm.” Qwin hummed, looking confused.  “It wasn’t then.”  He shrugged and shook his head.  “Who knows, maybe you have a doppelganger out there.” He joked, earning a forced laugh and some uneasy glances from the four friends.  Qwin appeared to not notice the tension in the air.  “Anyway, it was nice to meet you all, but I gotta jet.”

“Already?” Matt asked.

“Few things I have to finish before classes start.” He answered.  “Downside of waiting until the last minute to get stuff done.”  He moved toward the door.  “Will I see all of you tonight?”

“Where?” Bonnie asked.

“At the party.” Qwin answered.

“What party?”

“The start of term party.” The new guy clarified.  “At Whitmore House.”

“We’ll be there.” Matt answered.  Qwin cast one last bemused look at the four friends before he left to go attend his errands.  The moment he was gone, Caroline turned toward Matt.

“I don’t like him.”

“Care,” Matt said, already sounding exhausted from what he was sure would be a long monologue from the obsessive blonde.

“I’m just saying.” Caroline reasoned.  “If you want, I could compel him and you could have this nice room all to yourself.”

“Caroline.” Both Bonnie and Elena said in unison.

“What?” Clearly, the blonde vampire didn’t realize she was being problematic.

“The whole point of college, Caroline, is that we branch out and make new friends.”  Matt reasoned.  “And since Tyler’s gone and Jeremy’s dead, I need a guy friend.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes.  “Fine.”  She crossed her arms.  “Now, back to this whole threesome business.”  The other three occupants of the room groaned.

“Yes, let’s talk about that some more.” Jeremy said to no one, sitting comfortably on Qwin’s bed, ready to get some details on the whole situation that had cost his best friend the precious family heirloom that would save him from any death by supernatural means.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

“What’cha doin’?” Damon said opposite of Sheriff Forbes, still in her civilian clothes, fresh from the drive back from Whitmore.

“Eating my feelings.” Liz told him.  “Come, join me in drowning my sorrow in comfort food.”

“Can’t.” Damon said.  “I have to watch my girlish figure.”

“You can’t be totally okay with Elena being a two-hour drive away.” Liz argued.  “Especially after you two finally got together.”

“We’re secure in our relationship.” Damon said, snagging a single French fry.

“Really, even though your romance drove your only brother out of town?” Liz countered.  “Leaving you all alone in that massive house with nothing but the Salvatore liquor stores for company?” She flashed a smile that was so similar to her daughter’s that it was perfectly clear where Caroline had inherited it from.

Damon scowled, taking the entire plate of fries.  “Gimme those.” He devoured an entire fry in one bite, Liz’s words bouncing around in his head.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

“Well, he’s a boxer-briefs kind of guy.” Caroline said, holding up a pair of Qwin’s underwear from the drawer she was snooping through.

“Caroline.” Bonnie chided her friend from where she was helping Matt unpack his few belongings.

“What?” Caroline put the underwear back.  “I can’t be suspicious of new people after everything we’ve been through?”

“She does kind of have a point.” Elena pointed out.

“Thank you.”

“We’re not going to be paranoid of everyone.” Matt said.  “We’re not Klaus.”  The smile fell right off Caroline’s face.  “We’re here to try and have some semblance of a normal life.  So, put his stuff back and stop snooping.”  Caroline slammed the drawer closed with a bit more force than was necessary.

“No, by all means, snoop through my things.” Qwin said, striding back into the room.  “Hell, if you want, I can let you perform a cavity search while we run my DNA through a criminal’s database.”

“I’m sorry about all this.” Matt apologized.

“Don’t be.” Qwin waved away the apology.  “It’s not you interrogating me.”  He turned toward the blonde, the only one of the three with a clear dislike for him.  “So why don’t you and I just get this game of twenty questions out of the way?”

“Fine.” Caroline agreed, stepping forward and into Qwin’s personal space.  “Where are you from?”

“Massachusetts, on a small island in the Boston Harbor.”

“Siblings?”

“Only child.”

“Parents?”

Qwin paused for a moment before answering.  “Separated.”

“Mother?” Caroline plowed forward, not deterred in the least.

“Locked up.” Qwin crossed his own arms, not backing down, while coincidentally pumping out his chest. 

“In jail?” Bonnie asked, curious.

“No, Looney bin.” Qwin answered her, looking at the darker skinned young woman with none of the hostility he was reciprocating at Caroline.

“What about your dad?” Elena asked.

Qwin shrugged an impressive shoulder.  “Don’t know.  I never met him.”

“Who raised you, then?” Matt found himself drawn in, curious as well.

“Grandmother.” Qwin answered.  “Decided on college here to get away from her particular brand of crazy.”

“Crazy like your mother?” Caroline had no shame.

“No.  Crazy as in wildly overprotective.” Qwin reiterated.  “Some distance was welcome.”

Caroline sighed, keeping her eyes on Qwin and seemed to be trying to see through him, no doubt weighing everything he’d just told her in and assessing how she felt about that.  Granted, given everything she and her friends had been through in Mystic Falls, it was probably safer to err on the side of caution.  “You’ve passed the preliminaries, but know that I’m going to keep my eye on you.”

“Noted.” Qwin answered with a bemused smirk.  “But in the spirit of turnabout and fair play, what’s the deal with the four of you?”

“Meaning?” Elena asked.

“Well, I get that people try to hang on to their high school friends as they go forward in life, but I’ve never seen a whole group of friends stick together by going off to the same college.” Qwin pointed out.

“We, uh…” Bonnie looked around at the others, asking for their help without words.

“We’ve been through a lot together.” Matt offered.

“Because that’s not a vague non-answer.” Qwin teased.

“We’re family.” Elena supplied.  “We’ve all lost someone.”

“And we’ve all been there when we needed someone.” Caroline finished.  There was a long pause after this declaration, with an exchange of meaningful looks and even a holding of hands between the girls.

“Well, this got a bit more emotional than I was counting on.” Qwin said.  “I’ll see you guys at the party.”  Qwin downed the last of his Gatorade and grabbed his phone before heading toward the open door, nearly colliding with one Damon Salvatore.  The new addition quickly noted the heart eyes that occurred between Elena and Damon, as well as the rolled eyes, wrinkled nose and look of outright disgust on Matt’s, Bonnie’s, and Caroline’s faces respectively.  “Yeah, not drunk enough to deal with this.”  He said to himself, leaving the room quickly and closing the door behind him.

“Damon moved toward Elena, who met him halfway, their kiss chaste… by their standards.  When they came up for air, Damon slipped his arm around her waist and turned to survey the room.  Clearly it wasn’t up to his standards.

“Oh, how the standards of public housing have fallen.”  The elder vampire commented.  “I should write to my senator.”

“Damon, don’t be mean.”  Elena giggled, earning a barely restrained gag from Caroline.

“Who was the tool?” Damon asked.

“That tool was my roommate.”  Matt responded.  “So lay off.”

“Don’t get cocky, quarterback.” Damon threatened.  “That fancy little ring won’t always protect you.”  All three girls turned to look at Matt, something that Damon obviously noticed.  “What?  What did I miss?”

“Matt lost Jeremy’s ring?” Elena revealed.

“Really, Donovan?” Damon narrowed his ice blue eyes.  “You lost the one thing that protected you?”

“Well, apparently, he lost it during a threesome with a Rebekah and a really hot vampire in Prague.” Bonnie pointed out.  Damon remained speechless for a good moment or two – a rare feat – before nodding in some sort of testosterone filled man-moment, some sort of acknowledgement of a job well done… or some kind of bullshit like that.

“My respect for you has risen immensely.” The vampire admitted.

“Oh, good.  I can die happy now.” The sarcasm was thick in Matt’s voice.

“I can make that happen.” Damon threatened.

“Damon, what are you doing here?”  Elena drew her boyfriends’ attention back to her.  “We agreed to try the long-distance thing.”  She locked her arms around his neck.

Damon responded by circling his own arms around her waist.  “I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay.”

“There are phones for that.” Elena cooed.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Caroline stage-whispered.

“Feel free to leave, blondie.”

“Feel free to leave, yourself.” Matt interjected.  “This is my dorm.”

“Come on, I’ll show you our dorm room.” Elena offered.  “It’s massive.”

“Mmmm.” Damon hummed.  “We can break it in.”

“Just as long as we can get ready for the party.” Bonnie spoke up.  The witch looked over and spotted Caroline going through another of Qwin’s boxes.  “Caroline!”

The blonde immediately snatched her hand back, looking guilty.  “What?”  They all just looked at her, incredulously.  “I’m paranoid and his stuff is right there.”

“Anything interesting?” Damon asked, himself a paranoid person.

Caroline turned back toward the open box and pulled out a box of loose-leaf tea.  “Well, apparently, he’s a tea drinker.”  She also pulled out some type of herb in a mason jar.  “I guess he mixes his own stuff.”  She twisted the lid off of the jar and reached in, almost immediately yanking it back out again with a startled cry and the sound of sizzling flesh.  The glass fell to the desk on its side, spilling its contents across the wooden surface.

“What is it?” Bonnie asked, concerned.

Elena managed to unstick herself from Damon.  “Caroline?”

The blonde vampire pulled her finger out of her mouth, looking at the rest of those in the room.  “Vervaine.” She told them.

“Well, what’ya know.” Damon said, picking up the jar of spilled herbs.  “Paranoid pays off.”

“You think he knows about vampires?” Elena asked.

“You know anyone who just randomly takes vervain?” Damon asked, now himself going through the box of Qwin’s belongings.

“We don’t know anything yet.” Bonnie pointed out, trying to keep the others calm.

“Yes, Bonnie, out of all the rooms busboy here could have landed in, he just happens to get the one with a roommate on vervain.”  The sarcasm in Damon’s voice was thick enough to walk on.  The elder vampire upended the entire box, spilling its contents across the bed.  He sifted through the books, both text books and simple reading books, the little knick-knacks and the photos that now littered the sheets.

“Anything?” Caroline said, moving up next to him to also look through the items on the bed.

“Nope.” Damon said, tossing a picture of a group of six teens, one of them Qwin, on the bed.  “Guess we’ll just have to torture it out of him.”

“No!” Both Matt and Bonnie said in unison.

“We are not torturing my roommate.” Matt put his foot down.  “Especially since we don’t know anything.”

“We know he’s on vervain.” Damon argued.

“Which doesn’t prove anything.” Matt countered.  “We can find some other way to ask him about it, or something.”

“That’s your plan?” Damon didn’t even attempt to keep the contempt out of his voice.

“No, my plan is to try and have a normal college experience.”  Matt stood up for himself.  “Besides, if he has to be on vervain, then he’s not a vampire or a witch, because they don’t need that.  That makes him human.”

“We’re on vervain.” Damon fired back, reminding them all of a habit they picked up when the Originals were in town.

“Matt has a point, Damon.” Bonnie said.  “Unless you’re afraid of a college freshman.” She tacked on a viciously sweet smile to the comment.  Damon narrowed his eyes.

“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when he turns out to be some vampire-hating sociopath who murders you all in your sleep.”  Damon dropped the book in his hand to the bed.

“Why don’t you ask Sheriff Forbes to run a background check on him.” Elena offered.  “Just to be safe.”

“That’s a good idea.”  Damon smiled at Elena, getting one in return.  He snagged on of her arms and twirled her into his body.  “Mmm.  Did I ever tell you how smart you are?  Such a turn on.”  He leaned in and kissed her, which she melted in.

“We should go get ready for this party.” Caroline said hastily, quickly moving toward the door.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go shower.” Matt said, clearly uncomfortable with his ex-girlfriend making out with her current boyfriend in his dorm room.  Bonnie followed Caroline out of the room while Matt went to go get his showering stuff.  All the while, Damon and Elena continued to kiss, totally oblivious to the world around them.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

“There’s only so many combinations of dresses and shoes you can try, Caroline.” Matt said, clearly exhausted with the antics of his friend.  Since they had split up, Matt had showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a nice button-up shirt, something short-sleeved and tight, showing off his hard-earned muscles.  He leaned against the fireplace, arms crossed, surveying the massive dorm room the three girls had somehow managed to get – damn compulsion!

Elena had changed (once she managed to pry her face away from Damon’s) into a clinging dress that showed off a lot of leg, sleeveless and backless.  Basically, a Damon-approved outfit, paired with some nice hooker heels.  She was currently busy snapping selfies of herself to send to Damon, who was on his way back to Mystic Falls to have Sheriff Forbes look into Matt’s roommate.

Bonnie too had changed into a dress, a bit more conservative – still lots of leg, but her arms were covered, bangle bracelets jingling at each wrist.  She was sitting on her bed, flipping through her Philosophy textbook, apparently trying to get a head start on their upcoming classes.  When none of them heard from Caroline where she was holed up in their connected bathroom ( _seriously? ~~They couldn’t have compelled him a better room~~_?) Bonnie called out.

“Caroline, if you’re not ready soon, we’re going to leave without you.” The witch threatened.

“Alright, alright!” Caroline said, emerging ( _finally_!) from the bathroom.  “I’m ready.”  She wore a dress similar to Elena’s, the back intact, but still showing off her arms and legs ( _and significant cleavage_ ), the fabric hugger her curves in all the right places to attract the attention of a bunch of horny jocks and frat boys.  Her hair was a perfect mass of golden waves, not a hair out of place, and her make-up flawless… as if a team of make-up artists had been assisting her.  The pièce de résistance was the shoes, which Matt was positive cost more than all her text books… combined.

“What do we think?” She turned for the full effect.

“You look perfect, Caroline.” Matt said, moving away from the fireplace.  “Now can we get to the party before it’s over?”

“Fine.” Caroline huffed.  “Excuse me for wanting to look my best.”

“Why do you want to look so good, Care?” Matt asked.  “Aren’t you still with Tyler?”

Caroline’s expression soured.  “Tyler hasn’t returned any of my phone calls, all summer, so I’m not sure what we are anymore.”  She turned toward her bed where she started to angrily put her phone and lipstick and other things into her little party-purse.  Behind her, Elena looked away from her phone, Bonnie looked up from her textbook and Matt paused.  All three looked at one another before they started silently pointing and gesturing at one another, before it eventually came down to a game of rock, paper, scissors.  One, two, three – Bonnie and Matt both pointed at Elena.  The brunette vampire huffed silently before schooling her expression and turning to her best friend… one of her best friends.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Elena asked, making her voice gentle.

Caroline turned around, brave face already in place.  “No, I want to go out and party and forget about what a colossal jerk my boyfriend is being.”

“Well, we can help with that.” Bonnie said, tossing aside her book and standing up and moving toward her friend, locking arms with her.  “We will go out, drink copious amounts of cheap alcohol, dance and talk about how all men suck.” Caroline laughed, leaning into her friend.

“Hey!” Matt protested.

“Present company excluded, of course.” Bonnie corrected herself.

“We should also try and talk to Qwin.” Elena pointed out.  “You know, about the vervain.”

“Or,” Matt protested.  “We could act like normal freshmen and not give anyone any suspicion.”

The three girls exchanged glances.

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Caroline asked.  Matt grinned and started to move his shoulders up and down, already hearing the music that no doubt would be playing when they reached Whitmore House.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

The music poured out of the open windows and doors of Whitmore House, the original building of the campus.  Students, both upper and lower classmen were hanging out on the lawn in front of the building, others pouring both in and out of the front doors.  Colored lights flashed and the beat was like a pulse in the ground.  The four friends from Mystic Falls found Qwin out front, red solo cup in hand, talking to an upperclassman, a young African-American man with the most piercing eyes and charming smile.  The two were pretty deep in conversation when the four of them approached.  Qwin spotted them first.

“Oh, hey!” He said, flashing the four of them a bright smile over the other man’s shoulder.  His eyes turned back to the other man.  “Jesse, this is my roommate, Matt, and his friends.”  The other guy turned around and flashed that dazzling smile at the girls.  “Guys, this is Jesse.  He’s the TA for one of the advanced biology classes I’m taking.”

“Microbiology.” Jesse corrected him with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, man.” Matt said, reaching out a hand and shaking Jesse’s.  “I’m Matt.”

“I gathered.” Jesse said before turning his pale eyes to the three ladies.  “And who might you lovely ladies be?”

“Elena Gilbert.” Elena introduced herself.

“I’m Bonnie.” Bonnie went next, Jesse shaking both of their hands in turn.

“I’m Caroline.” The blonde stepped up last, meeting Jesse’s smile with one of her own, and a long, lingering handshake.  Add the serious eye contact between the two and the sparks flying, one would think they were dating, or at least, seriously flirting.  “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure.” Caroline practically purred at Jesse’s deep voice.  The other four standing around them watched, looking from one to the other, not saying a word.

“Yeah… I need more booze.” Qwin broke the silence, downing the rest of whatever was in his cup and turning toward the building, ready to get more alcohol.

“I’m right behind you.” Bonnie said, turning to follow him.

“Wait for me.” Elena said, following the other two.

Matt followed, too.  “Don’t leave me alone with them.”  The four approached the house, slowing down with the crush of bodies moving in the same direction.

“We wanted to ask you about something.” Elena said, figuring now was as good a time as any.

“About?”

“Well…“ Elena paused, unsure of how to continue.

“We saw something in the box on your bed.” Bonnie decided to be blunt about it.

Qwin paused, looking at the other three, focusing mostly on Matt.  “Really?”

“Hey, I tried to stop them.” Matt defended himself, raising his hands in defense.

“Clearly.” The sarcasm was thick in Qwin’s voice.  He rolled his eyes and turned back toward the throng of people.  “Ask away.”

“Well, we saw this bottle full of some weird herb in the box.” Elena said.

“It’s not weed.” Qwin said.  “If that’s what you were thinking.”

“So, what is it then?” Matt asked, playing his part in this little questionnaire pretty well.

“Some weird little herb called vervain.” Qwin answered.  “Makes the tea a bit bitter, but my grandmother used to swear by it.”  He chuckled.  “She said it provided one with a clear mind.”  He shrugged.  “I figured it would be good to have for college.  Plus, it makes me nostalgic for my family.  It’s like having a little piece of them here.”

The four of them finally reached the threshold of Whitmore House, climbing the steps to enter.  Qwin and Bonnie crossed the threshold into Whitmore House, but the moment Elena tried, she hit an invisible barrier, one typical of a vampire trying to enter a home uninvited.  She pushed against the invisible barrier discreetly, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention.  Matt stepped up next to her, his expression concerned and confused.

“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, keeping his voice low.

“Someone must own the building.” Elena whispered back.  “I can’t get in.”  They had lagged behind long enough that Qwin and Bonnie came back, both looking confused.

“What’s wrong?” Bonnie asked, asking the bigger question with her eyes.

“I was… uh.” Elena paused.  “I was going to go back and check on Caroline.  Make sure she’s okay.”

“She seemed pretty okay to me.” Qwin smirked.   “And if not, I’m sure that Jesse can help her.”

“Elena has a point.” Bonnie pointed out.  “We should make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Stupid as in…?”

“She’s still kind of dating someone.” Matt answered.  “My best friend.”  He said in answer to the raised eyebrow of his roommate.

“Okay, well I’m going to socialize.” Qwin said.  “Find me later.”

“Sure thing.” Matt said as his roommate entered Whitmore House and other three turned back, making their way back to Caroline.

“What happened?” Bonnie asked.

“I don’t know.” Elena answered.  “But it was like I wasn’t invited in.”

“Why would you need an invitation?” Bonnie asked.  “It’s a college.”

“I don’t know.” Elena admitted, sounding tired of repeating the phrase.  “But someone must own that building.”

The three of them remained silent as they waded through the many students choking the lawns, almost as if everyone on campus were coming out of the woodwork for this party.  The three ran into Caroline, close and heading in their direction.

“What’s wrong?” She said the moment she saw the grim expressions on their faces.  “Where’s Qwin?”

“He’s at the party.” Matt answered.

“Did you ask him about the vervain?” The blonde inquired.

“Yeah. He had a pretty normal explanation for it.” Bonnie explained.

“And we just believe him?”

“Obviously, we should keep an eye on him,” Bonnie argued.  “Just to play it safe.”

“How are we keeping an eye on him from out here?” Caroline asked.

“We can’t get in.” Elena explained.  “Well… they can.” She gestured toward Matt and Bonnie.  “But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It was like I wasn’t invited in.” Elena explained.  “Or that there was some kind of barrier spell up.” She looked toward Bonnie.  “It felt a lot like that time you trapped me in my house.”

“I didn’t sense any spell on the building.” Bonnie admitted.

“Which means that Whitmore House is privately owned.” Caroline deduced.  “That actually makes sense.”

“It does?” Elena looked confused, as did Bonnie and Matt.

“Yeah.” Caroline answered.  “The College was founded by the Whitmore Family back in the late eighteen hundreds.  Whitmore House was their family home.” She shrugged.  “I guess it’s still in the family.”  There was a long, pregnant pause among the group before Caroline broke it.  “Wait.  So, if we can’t get inside, whose watching Qwin?”

The four all exchanged looks.

“I’ll go.” Matt volunteered.  “He is my roommate.  We should bond over cheap beer and get to know one another.”

“That’s good.” Caroline said.  “See if he knows anything about us.”

“Sure thing, Caroline.” Matt said, turning away from them while rolling his eyes, already moving back toward the house.  The three girls watched as his broad back disappeared into the crowd.  The moment he was gone from view, Elena turned back toward Caroline, smile in place.

“So, what happened with Jesse?”

“Yeah, what did happen with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome with the oh, so pretty eyes?” Bonnie joined in.

“We just talked.” Caroline couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.

Bonnie and Elena exchanged glances.  “Sure.” Elena said, disbelief clear in her voice.

“Yeah.” Bonnie agreed, also sarcastically.  “Talked.”

“Shut up.” Caroline’s smile grew wider.

“Spill.” Bonnie said, linking arms with Caroline.  “Tell us everything.”

“Yes.” Elena linked her arm on Caroline’s other side.  “Spare no detail.”

“Well, he’s an upperclassman.” Caroline explained as the three friends started walking.  “A senior.  And he’s super sweet.  Comes from a small town further south, and he wants to be a doctor.”  Bonnie and Elena made sounds of approval.  “We didn’t get much further because his roommate showed up.”

“Oh?” Elena said.

“Yeah, depressing blonde guy.” Caroline responded.  “Kind of hot. Sensitive.  Kind of reminded me of Stefan.” Caroline shrugged.  “I left before things got too awkward.”

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

Matt waded through the students that were still mingling outside, looking around to see if Qwin was anywhere outside.  As he was looking, scanning the crowds, he spotted a familiar face, someone he never thought he’d see again.  The very woman he’d met in Prague.  The one he’d had the threesome with.  The one who’d stolen the Gilbert Ring.

“No way.” Matt said, completely forgetting about Qwin and moving to follow her as she wove through the crowd.  He eventually found her behind one of the office buildings, all alone and with no students around.

“Nadia?”

She turned around, looking every bit as exotic and catlike as he remembered.  “You remember me?”

“Yeah, I remember you.” Matt said as he approached her.  “You got Rebekah and me drunk and robbed us.” He came to a stop right in front of her.

“But it was fun until then.” She said, smile on her lips.  “No?”

Matt narrowed her eyes.  “How’d you know how to find me?”

“Let’s just skip the how and get to the why.” Nadia responded.  She held out her hand and opened her fingers.  Sitting there, on her palm, was the very ring she’d taken from him.  “This wasn’t mine to take.”

“You traveled four thousand miles to give me back a ring?” Matt couldn’t keep the suspicion out of his voice, not after everything he’d been through in Mystic Falls, not after all the crazy stuff that happened that very day.

“Hey,” She closed her fingers around the ring.  “If you don’t want it.” Her accent, Eastern European of some kind, thickened momentarily.  She turned to move away, but Matt’s hand settled over hers.

“No!” He said quickly.  “I want it.”

Nadia turned back, smirking.  She took her large hand in hers and slid the ring onto his ring finger, all in a rather intimate manner.  She even linked their fingers together.  “Looks better on your anyway.” Matt stared at her, caught up in whatever this little moment was, so much so that he didn’t hear someone sneaking up behind him.

Two hands enclosed on either side of Matt’s head, holding him in place.

“ _Jaryakat a zem_.” The man incanted, his voice deep and steady, his eyes closed in concentration.  Matt’s eyes closed involuntarily before opening again, a solid, shining black.  “ _Daryeet acza_.” Matt’s eyes closed again and when they reopened, they were his beautiful baby blues once again, though they were glazed over, unfocused.  They drooped closed again, and Matt slumped between the two of them, falling unconscious to the ground.

Nadia looked down at Matt, her expression void of emotion, before she looked up at her male companion and smirked.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

Bonnie, Caroline and Elena were still walking casually around the campus, though now they had their own red solo cups, courtesy of some compelled co-eds.

“God, Caroline, make up your mind!” Bonnie said loudly, though without any real malice, as the blonde suggested she hook up with Qwin, the very guy she didn’t trust and was going to have her mother investigate.

“I’m just saying,” Caroline said to Bonnie, gesturing with her mostly empty cup.  “That if, notice I said _if_ , Qwin turns out to be not-evil, he’d be a quality prospect.  He’s cute, has great biceps, and he’s really smart.”

“How do you know that?” Bonnie couldn’t help herself.

“I dropped by the admissions office while you were getting ready and compelled the secretary for copies of his transcripts.”  Caroline answered casually.  “He’s here on a full academic scholarship, majoring in a whole bunch of science programs.  I’m guessing pre-med.”  She leveled a direct look at Bonnie.  “And dating a future doctor couldn’t hurt.”

“Hey!” Elena interrupted.  “Her best friend is a future doctor, so I think she’s good.” Obviously, she was referring to herself.

“Besides, Caroline,” Bonnie said with an exasperated sigh.  “Jeremy – “

“Wouldn’t want you moping around over him.” Caroline interrupted.  “Back me up on this, Elena.”

“It’s true, Bonnie.” Elena agreed.  “He’d want you to move on and be happy.”

“No,” Jeremy’s ghost said.  “No I wouldn’t.” A fond smile was on his lips as he looked at his ex-girlfriend.  “You should totally think about me all the time.”  He reached out and caressed her cheek, knowing full well she couldn’t feel or even see him.  The curse of him being a ghost with unfinished business.

“I hear what you guys are saying.” Bonnie admitted.  “I do.  It’s just…“ She struggled to find the right words to express what she wanted to say.  “I don’t want to replace him.”

“Oh, Bonnie, you can’t.” Caroline said, pulling her friend into a one-armed hug.

“Damn right, you can’t.” Jeremy said with a playful smirk, walking alongside them.

“You can never replace him.” Elena added.  “And you shouldn’t have to.  But that doesn’t mean you have to run off and join a convent.  You deserve happiness, too.”

“You’re right.” Bonnie said, hugging both of her friends.  “And after I’ve taken some time, we’ll see how it goes.”  She released her two best friends.  “Of course, this is all under the assumption that Qwin isn’t evil.”  They continued walking, passing Jeremy’s spirit, which disappeared after they had passed.

“Yeah.” Caroline agreed.

“What are the odds?” Elena joked.

“Speaking of which, where’s Matt?” Caroline asked.  “He’s been gone a long time and I figured he’d have some more information on his maybe-not-evil roommate.”

“Maybe he’s enjoying the party.” Bonnie suggested.

“Well, that wasn’t part of the plan.” Caroline argued.  She opened her mouth to continue her rant when Elena shushed her.  She brushed her hair behind her ear and tilted her head to the side, clearly hearing something with her enhanced vampire hearing.  Caroline followed suit, listening to whatever it was that caught Elena’s attention.  The two vampires heard someone running through a hall, pounding on doors, calling for help, her voice thick with both fear and tears.

“What is it?” Bonnie asked, the only one of the three without enhanced hearing.

“A girl’s running from something.” Elena answered.

“Yeah.” Caroline agreed, turning to scan the buildings, trying to determine which one she was in.  As luck would have it, her supernatural senses pointed toward Whitmore House, the one building on campus neither she nor Elena could enter.

Bonnie could, but wouldn’t be able to get there in time.

“ _Someone help me_!” The two vampires heard the girl plead.  “ _Help me!  Help me!_ ”  Then her words were cut off and replaced with a terrified scream.

“What’s happening?” Bonnie looked frantic.  Mere seconds after she spoke those words, there was another scream, one that sounded like it was getting closer, and closer, and closer.  Then bam!  Something impacted the ground behind the three women, all of whom whirled around in surprise to see what it was.  There, lying not three feet from them was the body of a young woman, presumably the same woman who’d been screaming for help.  Her chest wasn’t moving, and even with their enhanced vampire hearing, Caroline and Elena could hear no heartbeat.

She was dead.

“Oh, my God!” Bonnie said, clearly horrified by the sight before her, despite the many horrible things she’d seen the last few years in Mystic Falls.  After the moment it took to process what had just happened, Elena sprang into action.  She moved toward the girl and knelt beside her.  Just as she reached out, she paused.  Her enhanced senses may not have picked up a heartbeat, but they did pick up something else.

Cautiously, carefully, Elena reached out and started to move the girl’s hair away from her neck.

“What are you doing?” Bonnie asked.

Elena didn’t answer, just continued to remove the hair, slowly revealing a bloody and ravaged neck, the flesh savaged as if by teeth.

Elena looked up, her face set in a grim expression.  “This was a vampire.”

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

“Caroline!” Matt called out, spotting his friend through the crowd.  Why do crowds always gather at tragedies like this?  Morbid curiosity can’t account for all of it.  He moved around the drunken on-lookers toward his friends, all three obviously shaken.

“Matt!” Caroline called back when she saw him.  Once he was close enough, she through her arms around his broad shoulders.  “Thank God you’re okay.”

“Me?” Matt asked once they pulled back from each other.

“It was a vampire.” She whispered, pulling him toward Elena and Bonnie, away from the body draped with a sheet.

“A vampire?” Matt’s eyes widened.  “Here?”

Caroline nodded in response.  “Yeah.  So did you find out anything more from Qwin?”

“No.” Matt admitted.  “I never actually found him.  I ran into a familiar face and then heard what happened here.”

“What?” Caroline sounded outraged, which drew Elena and Caroline over.

“What?” Elena asked, worried.

“What’s wrong?” Bonnie joined in.

“Matt couldn’t find Qwin.” Caroline explained.  “And now there’s a girl who was very clearly killed by a vampire.  Coincidence, I think not.”

“We don’t know anything for sure, Caroline.” Bonnie pointed out.

“Besides, Caroline, why would he need vervain if he was a vampire?” Matt reasoned.

“We’ve known vampires that ingested vervain.” Caroline refused to let this go, needing to focus her attention on finding a suspect and solving this mystery as to not dwell on the fresh blood twenty feet away.  Before any of her fiends could argue with her, a woman walked over, African-American, close-cropped hair and dressed in a casual pant suit, a badge of some kind hanging from a lanyard around her neck.

“Hey girls?” Her eyes fell on Matt.  “And gentleman.  You weren’t here before.”

“No, ma’am.” Matt responded.  “I just wanted to make sure my friends were okay.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion but let it go, her gaze falling back to the girls.  “My name is Dianne Freeman.  I’m head of Campus Security.  Are you okay?”

“I mean, I think so.” Elena answered.

“I imagine this would be quite a shock as your first day.” Dianne said.  “And I’m sorry you had to find her like this.  Did any of you know her?”

“No.” Elena said, looking to her friends to make sure they hadn’t known her as well.

“Do you know what happened?” Caroline asked.

“We found a note.” Dianne admitted.  “Apparently, she was struggling with severe depression.”

“Wait.” Elena interrupted.  “What do you mean you found a note?”

“Sadly, this young woman took her own life.”  Dianne Freeman broke it to them as gently as possible.

“You think that _this_ was a suicide.”  Bonnie sounded totally unconvinced by the obvious lie.

“We’re convinced this was a suicide.” Dianne stated with conviction, as if daring any of them to contradict her.  “We will have grief counselors available if you need them.”

“Thank you.” Elena offered graciously.  Dianne nodded to the small group before making her way toward the officers and paramedics around the dead girl’s body.  Once the woman was out of earshot, the four exchanged a look.

“ _What_ the hell is going on here?” Elena asked, clearly confused.

The four stood there in stunned silence, each trying to process what had just happened, and the obvious coverup that followed.  As they stood there, someone’s phone started to ring.  Matt puled pulled his phone out of his pocket to see who was calling.

“It’s Qwin.” Matt announced, getting their attention.

“Speak of the Devil” Caroline spoke up.  “Answer it.”

Matt swiped his thumb across the screen and picked up the call.  He raised the phone to his ear.  “Hey, man.  Where’d you disappear to?” He tried for casual.

“Oh, I ran into this girl.” Qwin said.  Matt looked up and saw that Caroline was paying close attention to the conversation.  At the mention of this girl, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.  “We did some shots.” Qwin paused.  “A lot of shots.”  He chuckled.  “Way too many shots.  We’re actually at this diner near campus right now, sobering up.”

“You’re with her right now?” Matt asked under the watchful eye of his three friends.

“Yeah, why?” Qwin asked.  When he didn’t get a response back, he kept talking.  “Did something happen?”

Matt paused, unsure of how to say it before he just decided to be blunt.  “There’s a dead girl on campus.”

“Oh, my God!” Qwin said, sounding genuinely surprised.  “Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, we’re all fine.” Matt answered him.  “She committed suicide.”

“Damn.” Qwin said softly after a minute.

“Yeah.” Matt agreed.  “My friends found her.” Qwin was silent for a long while.

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah… yeah.”  Matt said.  “They’re good.  Just shaken.”

“Understandably.” Qwin agreed.  “Do you want me to come back?”

“Nah, man, don’t worry about it.” Matt said.  “We’re all good.”

“You sure?  Because we’re just having coffee.  I can be right back.”

“Don’t’ worry about it.” Matt repeated it.  “I’ll see you back at the dorm.”

“Sure thing, man.” Qwin said before ending the call.  Matt lowered the phone from his ear and looked toward the three girls.

“Well, I still don’t trust him.” Caroline defended herself.

“Let’s just go get something to eat.” Bonnie said.  “To take the edge off.”  And with that, the four friends were off to look for some food, most likely their dorm where they could find blood for the two vampires among their number.

 

 

**-TVD-**

 

 

Qwin put his phone down on the table with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” The sultry voice of a woman asked him.

“Girl just died on campus.” Qwin informed her, his expression thoughtful.

“Oh, dear.” The girl said, clearly not distressed.

Qwin smirked, looking up from his phone to the oh, so familiar face sitting across from him.

“Wasn’t you, by any chance, was it?”

Katherine Pierce matched his smirk with one of her own.  “Now, would I do something like that?”

 


End file.
